Tag Archives: id badge

HID Access Card Printing Tips

When printing your HID Access cards follow these instructions to achieve best results. Start by printing a test card with a regular CR80 PVC Card to ensure your template and design are up to your standards, then;

– Always check cards for manufacturing debris. Sometimes there are small pieces of vinyl on the card. Carefully clean cards using 99% pure Isopropyl alcohol and a soft, lint free cloth.

– The office where you print the cards should be neat, clean and free of airborne particles. If not purchase a dust cover for when the printer is not in use.

– Check the printer’s roller frequently. Clean the printer roller after printing 50 cards (or fewer).

– Fine scuff marks may appear on the surface of cards. These marks do not affect the printer, nor the printed images. These scuff marks occur during final inspection and testing.

– Printer manufacturers discourage printing cards which are pre¬punched. The slot edge may tear the printer ribbon or interfere with card position sensors. Therefore, print your cards first, then slot punch them. For cards that are already punched, do not print in the area near the slot. If the card has an embedded contact chip, keep the printing at least .0625 in [1.5875 mm] away from its edges.

As always for information contact an expert at Safe-Card ID Services today.

Professional ID Photos Need a Tripod and Backdrop

Since we create and print ID Cards for a large number of business onsite at Safe-Card ID Services, the Art Department sees all kinds of photos. The honest truth is a perfectly designed card needs an equally great photo, which can be achieved with a backdrop and tripod. By taking photos at a uniform height with a consistent background color, ID cards are harder to counterfeit and helps ensure the cards appear standardized.

Safe-Card ID offers a wide variety of backdrops for your photo ID pictures. Multple colors are availible to choose from and solid colored backdrops help center the focus on the person in the photo. Also, many backdrops are portable, allowing ID card photos to be easily printed off-site.

Tripods minimize blurry photos by stabilizing the camera. Simply attach a camera to the top of the tripod before snapping a picture, guaranteeing all photos are taken at the same height and angle. Our patented HD Image Cam Pro ID Camera comes with a tripod and monitor mount that are also conveniently compact and idea for business travel.

Call an expert at Safe-Card ID Services today to make sure your employees have the great photo they deserve on thier ID Card or Badge.

 

Keep Your PVC Card Stock Clean

pvc cardsKeeping your blank pvc card stock clean is vital for ensuring that you get the best quality prints each and every time you use your ID card printer. That is because any abnormalities contained on the card stock can be transferred to your print job, giving you less than desireable results and wasting pvc with costly reprints.

To maintain cards for optimal printing make sure to keep your blank cards free from debris and dust. Any stray particles on the surface of a card can and will cause imperfections and flaws when you print. Dust and debris can also damage the print head and other printing mechanisms inside your ID card printer. Safe-Card ID Services offers pvc cards wrapped in batches of 100 making it easier to help keep them clean if you ordered more for future use.

It is also wise to keep your cards in the case they came in, or in an airtight and watertight container. Look the cards over before printing and keep a dust cloth handy to wipe the cards off if you notice any dust or debris. Make every effort to only touch the sides of the cards and not the surfaces that will be printed on. Oils from your hands will also decrease the quality of the printed card.

While most cards are stored in an office enviroment it is also improtant to take note of the card storage temperature. Extreme heat or cold can damage PVC cards, making them more brittle and susceptible to snapping. Be sure to store your cards in a temperature controlled area and make sure not to put them through drastic temperature changes.

To learn more about proper card handling give an expert at Safe-Card ID Services a call today.

 

Visual Security and Your ID Card Program

A number of visual security features can be added to your ID card program to decrease the likelihood of fraud or counterfeiting. While some of the features are specific to the brand and model printer you own, a few features can be implemented regardless of the type of printer. These include peel-and-stick holographic markers that can be applied by hand before printing or a holographic overlaminate. There are also whole card holographic stickers you can apply after you print a card. While most over-laminates require a laminating module in the printer you can laminate cards with a holographic ribbon on the Evolis line of printers as shown in the image to the left.

To learn more about how to incorporate these features into your ID card program give an expert at Safe-Card ID Services a call.

Tips for Effective Use of an ID Card Slot Punch

An ID card slot punch offers an affordable and effective way to create an attachment point on your ID cards for use with badge accessories, such as badge clips, badge reels or lanyards. Before you use a slot punch, it’s important to know how and when to use it.

Tip #1: A few test cards go a long way

It would be a waste to print hundreds of cards and then realize that the slot punch will interfere with the design of the card. Instead, print a few test cards and test location of the punch against your design. There are a number of models and prices of slot punches available with volume being the deciding factor in which to select.

Tip #2: Take extra precaution with access cards

Access cards have an antenna embedded into the card, so you will need to be sure to punch the slot in the correct spot on the card so as not to damage the antenna or chip. If the antenna is damaged, your access card will not work. Since these cards can cost anywhere from $3.00 to $6.00 or more per card, it would be a costly mistake to punch these cards in the wrong location.

Tip #: Slot punch already printed cards only

Slot punching makes the surface area of an ID card uneven and dangerous for your card printer’s sensitive printhead. If you slot punch an ID card and then feed it through your ID card printer, you may leave a small sliver of plastic behind that could possibly puncture a hole in one of the heat elements on the printhead. Damaged printheads result in distorted and poor quality images on your cards and can be $400.00 or more to replace. Slot punching the photo ID cards after they have been printed will not only ensure the quality of the card, but also the longevity of your ID card printer.

To determine which type of slot punch best meets your needs contact an expert at Safe-Card ID Services today. They carry a full line of quality slot punches that can hanle a few cards to those that can handle hundreds of thousands.